Various types of dunnage are known in the art, including wood, plastic, paper, foam, matting, and other types of materials that are used to help protect materials during transportation and to prevent them from moving within their shipping containers. Depending on the materials and geometries that are selected, the properties of the dunnage may be more or less desirable for certain applications. Certain materials, such as wooden chocks or pallets, are used to provide fixed spacing or anchoring points without deformation or deflection. Conversely, materials like foam and captured air, are used to provide cushioned impact protection. While these materials may provide increased protection through their inherent ability to absorb impacts and deform, they do not provide the same levels of product motion control offered by more rigid alternatives. They may also suffer from additional disadvantages, wooden dunnage for example, is prohibited in many countries due to the potential for the transportation of invasive insects.
Designing dunnage also involves significant financial considerations. The materials should have low manufacturing costs, as many times, for example, with trans-oceanic shipping, it is best to dispose of the dunnage after receipt as opposed to paying to ship it back. While some shipments may be bi-directional, may specialty product shipments only occur in a single direction, from supplier to consumer, meaning there is very little opportunity for reuse. Similarly, it is important to minimize both weight and volume. Both weight and volume are at a premium in trans-oceanic shipments and as little space should be wasted by shipping materials, as opposed to the goods being transported.
That said, in many instances, protecting goods during shipment can be every bit as important as manufacturing cost, weight, and volume. For very expensive goods, or goods that carry a long manufacturing lead time, the loss or damage of goods during transport is unacceptable. In these instances, financially inefficient dunnage may still make financial sense due to the time and money that can be lost due to damaged goods.
Accordingly, there is a desire for improved dunnage, that is capable of low-cost manufacturing, minimizes space and weight, and maximizes protection available to the materials.